Changes in the Level of Endothelin-1 with Aging

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent and long-lasting vasoconstrictor peptide. In order to clarify the changes in the level of ET-1 with aging, we measured the ET-1 level in plasma by radioimmunoassay and used 74 healthy subjects including 61 males and 13 females, aged from 30 to 69, who were admitted in the health check center of Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital. None of them had risk factors related to hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease. In the male group, the relationship between the level of ET-1 (Y) and age (X) was obtained as follows: Y = 0.08857 X +0.06363. The correlation between them was significant (γ = 0.65894, p<0.05). In the female group also, the increased level of ET-1 (Y) with age (X) showed an excellent linear relationship (Y = 0.163091 X–4.23, γ = 0.762, p<0.002). These studies demonstrated that the level of ET-1 increased in relation to aging and the increased ET-1 production with aging may be consistent with deterioration of endothelial function.